Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/642

564 ½ an oz. of flour, For the seasoning: 1 tablespoonful of flour, ¼ of a teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, ¼ of a teaspoonful of salt, ⅛ of a teaspoonful of pepper, a pinch of finely-grated lemon-rind, ½ a pint of gravy, stock or water.

Method.—Cut the meat into fillets about 2½ inches in diameter, sprinkle both sides with seasoning, and put aside for 1 hour. Cut the tips of the asparagus about 2 inches long, and boil them in salted water until tender, the stems being put aside to be afterwards used for soup. Heat the butter in a frying-pan, cook the collops quickly until lightly browned on both sides, then remove and keep them hot. Sprinkle the flour on the bottom of the pan, cook until well-browned, and add the gravy or stock. Season to taste, boil rapidly for about 5 minutes, then strain. Arrange the collops in a close circle on a hot dish, place the asparagus tips in the centre, and pour the sauce round.

Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. to 43. 6d. Sufficient, allow 1 lb. of meat for 3 or 4 persons. Seasonable from March to July.

Method.—Take the best end of a neck of lamb, remove the chine bone, and saw the rib bones across, reducing the length to 3½ or 4 inches, according to the size of the fillet, or lean portion of the meat. Trim off the greater part of the fat, and scrape the end of the bone, leaving about ¾ of an inch quite bare. A more even surface and a better shape may be obtained by flattening the cutlets with a wetted cutlet-bat or chopping-knife. The cutlets may be plainly grilled or fried, coated with egg and breadcrumbs, and fried or braised and glazed. The most suitable vegetable accompaniments are asparagus, green peas, and spinach; and an almost infinite number of sauces may be served with the cutlets, and allowed to give their name to the dish when it is a simple one. For example, plainly grilled or fried cutlets may be served with tomato or Madeira sauce, and termed respectively, Côtelettes d'Agneau à la Tomate, and Côtelettes d'Agneau à la Madère.

Ingredients.—9 or 10 cutlets cut from the best end of the neck, ½ a pint of shelled peas, ¼ of a pint of good gravy or demi-glace sauce (see Sauces), salt and pepper, salad-oil.

Method.—Trim the cutlets into a good shape, brush over with salad-oil, then grill them over or in front of a clear fire for about 8 or 10 minutes, turning them 3 or 4 times. Season the cutlets lightly with salt and pepper, cover the end of each bone with a cutlet-frill, arrange neatly in a circle on a border of mashed potato, serve the peas in the centre and pour the hot sauce round.

Time.—30 minutes, altogether. Average Cost, 1s. to 1s. 2d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.